Is It Me Or Is It Just?
by Carilla-Yvanovskie
Summary: Ichigo suddenly disappear and no one knows where he is or even know who he is. Rukia desperate to know what happen to him.


**Disclaimer : Bleach is property of Tite Kubo**

**Pairing : Ichigo X Rukia, Byakuya X Yoruichi, Urahara X Yoruichi**

**A.N : **

**Hi there! It's me Cari. This is my first Bleach fic. I hope you enjoy. Sorry for the typos FYI English is not my native language.**

**Thanxs**

**Carilla**

**Is It Me Or Is It Just...?**

I was waiting for him for more than an hour. And yet I still waited for him like a big fool I was. I let the chance to watch my '_most wanted to see movie_' slipped through my fingers as my pointless waiting on him resolved nothing but disappointment. Damned that jerk! How long did it usually take for a guy to be inside a toilet? Should it take this long? What was he doing inside? Was he taking a bath or couldn't find an exit because the toilet wass built as complicated as a labyrinth? Or was he chatting with some stranger and got himself captivated by their hypnotizing words till he forgot the time? Or was he enjoying his moment of solitude and decide to do something immoral? Or was he being attacked by some bad guys who also took his money? Or was he simply being dead after those attack? If that so, why didn't he tried to call me? Or called the police? Or called Renji? Or...no wait, if he's dead, he couldn't make a call, could he? Nice point.

After decided that I couldn't wait any longer, I made the most monumental decision that would swallow my pride and dignity in becoming a woman. A modest yet pure woman. But I had to do this to make sure that that retard was still alive and every single flesh of him was still intact to his body.

I inhaled the oxygen as deep as I could. I held my head up and secretly counting inside my head.

One...

I walked with incredible speed.

Two...

My nose flared.

Three...

My heartbeat fastened.

Four...

I felt everyone staring at me.

Five...

I stood in front of the door. The damned door.

Six...

I felt more people staring at me.

Seven...

Someone's tapping my shoulder, but I didn't bother to look up.

Eight...

I breathed deeply once more.

Nine...

I felt people started to talked behind my back (literally because right now they were really facing my back).

Ten...

BLAAAMMMM!

AUUUCCCCHHH!

"Miss, this is male toilet! You should go to the other opposite to..."

I didn't hear the rest of that sentence, I didn't even had any idea who was talking at the first place. Maybe he was the one who tapped me earlier.

As I entered, I was served with some obscene scenery that I couldn't describe. Well, maybe I could describe some, like a guy who fell flat on his back right next to the door. Yes, that damned door. He was rubbing his nose, possibly he fell because he accidentally hit the door with his nose. How fool! Just like that stupid orange head!

Talking of the devil, where the hell was he now?

I spread my gaze. Despite some entertaining scenes that I found-like not much but more than two guys who look at me with surprise on their eyes as if I was an alien from Bermuda triangle, or some other guys who scowled at me and muttering something undignified, some suspicious words sounds like F***k or B***h- I felt like I lost my interest after I realized that none of them was my dearest Jerk.

So I decided to volunteer one more brilliant idea. I stepped to the toilet cabin and started to opened the unlocked and knock on the knocked ones. A few minutes later I got my result. Most of the inhabitant of the cabin come out except for the last cabin. It remain closed. So I concluded, the Jerk must be inside. I knocked the door harshly.

"Come out you Jerk! Are you dead or something?" I shouted out. Loudly.

"Miss, please leave! It's not an appropriate place for you," said a man behind me. I recognized his voice as the same man who warned me earlier. Now I finally found out that he was really a security guard.

He tried to restraint me. He snatched my arms so I couldn't knock anymore. I struggled, and accidentally I kicked open the door that I was knocking. And...

If you asked me what would I do if I could rewind the time, then my answer is never to open that door ever. Never.

XoXoXoXoX

I sat on the porch. I was shocked after I dealt with a traumatized experience. So I decided to stay still and remain calm until I could compose myself again. Then another brilliant idea crossed my mind. I should made a phone call. No, I must made a phone call. So I dialed the first person that I could remembered. Unluckily the only person that I could remember was him. That Jerk who caused me all of this problem. He must have died! Once I found him, I would murder him with no mercy. You better watch your back, Jerk!

Oops, what have I done? Didn't I just said that I should tried to stay calm? Sorry, that Jerk always pissed me off. Anyway, I guess I already know who I should made a call to. It's gonna be Inoue. She was my best friend, she always knew every time I need her help and she would always be available for me. So I called her.

Tuuuuut...Tuuuuut...Tuuuuuuut...

"Hallo," she said from the other line.

"Inoue, you must helped me," I told her straight to the point.

"What happen?" She asked.

"Ichigo is suddenly disappear and I can't find him anywhere. You must help me..." I hung up the phone before she could respond. Because I knew that no matter how, she would never be able to say no to me. I took that as my advantage. Haha. Don't called me rude!

I made my second phone call. This time I called Renji, he was the Jerk's bestfriend & mine too..

Tuuuuut...

"Hallo," a lazy voice heard. He must have been sleeping.

"Renji, you must help me. Ichigo is suddenly dissapear and I can't find him anywhere," I said. Was it me or was I just said the same line that I told to Inoue? I felt de javu. And uncreative.

"What do you mean?" Asked Renji.

Aarghhh! Why he chose to become an idiot at a wrong time?

"I said Ichigo is gone and YOU must help me to find him!" I shouted. Yeah, I shouted and I proud.

"What? Ichigo? Did you just plant a new strawberry and refer to it as he? Wow I can't believe that you already out of your mind!"

He really decided to be a retard. Damned Renji!

"Shut up Renji, and help me now! Or I tell Nii-sama what you have done last summer!" I warned him.

"...you...What? Do you know what I did last summer?" The idiot sounded so startled.

"Yeah," I glared at him, even though none of us could see each other.

"Ugh, OK. Don't tell Byakuya please. Alright so what's up with the strawberry?"

"I told you he is gone so you must help me to find him!" I lost my patience.

"So, someone steal your baby-plant, eh?" He asked idiotically.

"There's no way someone could steal or kidnap him. He must be run away somewhere,"

"B-but how could a strawberry could walk and runaway from you? It doesn't even have feet?"

"Renji, stop being stupid!"

"I am not! You are the stupid one!"

"What?"

"Yeah, you are the stupid one! Since when a strawberry could walk? A newly born baby even know the answer better than you do!"

"Geez, who's talking about f*****g strawberry? I'm talking about the orange headed Ichigo!"

"Now you're talking about orange! Are you vegetarian freak or something?"

"Renji, really! I'll call Nii-sama and tell him that..."

"OK, oK, hold up! Wait! We can solve it without involving Byakuya. I'll help you to find this hybrid plant and..."

"RENJIIII...! I'm talking about Ichigo! Kurosaki Ichigo, damn it! I'm not talking about strawberry hybrid or orange hybrid! I'm talking about a guy who's becoming my boyfriend and your best friend! Don't pretend that you don't know him!"

"What? I know this strawberry freak?"

"Of course dumbass! Don't tell me you got amnesia and suddenly forget about him!"

"But...I don't know anything about that Ichigo guy..."

"Did you drunk last night?"

"Huh?" The idiot seemed confuse at my sudden change of the topic.

"Or are you still sleeping now? Are you answering my questions in unconscious state?"

"Listen Rukia, I'm not drunk and I'm fully awake. And with all of my consciousness I tell you that I don't know anything at all about that Ichigo strawberry freak. So please stop yelling at me on the phone..."

"What? But he is your best friend! You two always hang out together! How could you forget about him?"

"I tell you once more I never had a friend name Ichigo and I will not tell you for the third time. Are we deal?"

"But.."

"Even though you tell Byakuya about what I did last summer, I won't said the otherwise. I am Abarai Renji declare that I never know anyone name Ichigo, is it understood?"

"Uhm...but..."

"Rukia, please! Don't mess up with my mind!"

Click.

What happened just now? Did Renji just said he didn't know Ichigo? Were they in fight or something. What if Renji was the reason behind Ichigo sudden disappearance? What if Renji was the one who killed Ichigo, mutilated his body and threw it somewhere no one would find? Oh. My. God.

I reflexly dialed another number to find out what was going on between the Jerk and the idiot.

Tuuuuuut...Tuuuuuuuut...Tuuuuuuuuuut...

"Halo," said the voice.

"Inoue, do you know what happen to Ichigo and Renji?" I asked her straight to the point.

"I...Ichigo and Renji?" She sounded confused.

"Yeah, the two of them."

"..."

"Inoue? Are you still there?"

"Uhm, yes,"

"Do you know what happen between them?"

"I don't know..."

"I see, but it really bothers me. How could Renji told me that he never knew who Ichigo was. Is he that angry to Ichigo?"

"Actually, there's something that I want to ask you Kuchiki-chan."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Who is Ichigo?"

I had nothing to said to that. My only reaction was just dropping my jaw. It's likely for Renji to lie to me and play with my mind by pretending he never knew Ichigo, but Inoue, she never lied. If she said she didn't know who Ichigo was then it must have been she really didn't know him. So I let the question hang in the air, who was Ichigo?

XoXoXoX

I looked at the calendar intensely. I looked at it as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Today wasn't April 1st, so there'll be no point for everyone to put a prank on me. Today wasn't my birthday either nor was Ichigo's. Today was the most confusing day in my entire life where my boyfriend- my Jerk boyfriend who loved nothing but scowl- suddenly vanished and all of our friends suddenly got a really bad amnesia. Including my beloved Nii-sama. He didn't seem to remembered the Jerk even in the slightest. I knew so well that Nii-sama never liked the Jerk anyway, but I knew better that Nii-sama was the kind of guy who would always keep his words. He wouldn't lie to me. Just like Inoue.

But today question was, what really happened? Why was I the only one who remembered that a guy named Kurosaki Ichigo was ever exists?

After I called all the people who possibly knew him, I always found the same answer. None of them ever knew who Kurosaki Ichigo was. Even Chad, Ishida, Asano, Mizuiro and Tatsuki admitted they didn't know him. When I went to the Jerk's house to find the real truth, I only served by an empty house with a big For Sale sign right in front of it's door.

It's impossible. How could someone's existence disappear just like that? And why did I remembered? In the middle of my reverie, someone's tapping my arm. It was my Nii-sama. My beloved one.

"Are you alright Rukia?" He asked me.

"I'm fine Nii-sama." I bent my head low. Nii-sama always looked superior in front of me.

"You look not alright to me. Tell me what is bothering you?" he took a seat beside me. I felt my heartbeat racing. We seldom spoke to each other this close. God help me before my heart exploded!

"I...I...I...don't know. Everything feel so weird. Tell me the truth Nii-sama, do you really don't know anything about Ichigo?"

He stared at me in silence. Then he sighed.

"Don't you believe me, do you?" His tone indicated that what he was saying was nothing but the truth itself.

"Yes, Nii-sama," I bent my head lower and deeper unable to look at him in the eye.

Ting Tong

The bell was ringing. Somebody's coming.

"Let me open the door," I walk in a rush to the door, first to open it, second to avoid eyes contact with my beloved Nii-sama. He always made me so nervous.

"Hi Byakuya-boo, are you at home?" A voice called out.

After I arrived at the front of the door, I found a dark skinned girl stood up there grinning at me.

"Hi Yoruichi-san," I greeted her.

"Hi Rukia, is your brother at home?" She repeated her question.

"Yes, he is at home..."

"So where is he? Does he want to play hide and seek with me?" She stepped inside in a feline-like grace.

"What bring you here Yoruichi?" A cold tone of my Nii-sama was heard. I turned around to found him stood a few feet away from me.

"So cold, as usual. I come here to meet you of course. What else?" She said in a singsong voice.

"You already meet me, now please leave!" He said expressionlessly.

"Ow, you are so mean. You make me hurt," she made a fake sad gesture.

"Just tell me what you want and leave as you as you finish."

"Don't be to harsh on me. I just want to meet you and chat a little bit if you don't mind. I miss you, you know," she leaned dangerously close to my Nii-sama..

"Alright then, go chat with Rukia because I have some appointment now," Nii-sama said as he walked out the door.

"Wait, how rude of you! Don't you forget that I'm a guest?" She yelled.

My Nii-sama just walked without paying too much attention to her. I felt a bit pity on her. My Nii-sama's behaviour reminded me of that Jerk.

"Ah, isn't he cute, is he? He always walk away when he embarrassed," she said it out loud. Loud enough so that Nii-sama could hear her and slightly turned to face her before he continued to walk.

What did she meant? Did she just said that Nii-sama embarrassed because of her? I saw that Nii-sama's pale face a little bit blushed when he heard Yoruichi's words. Oh well, I knew what was going on between the two of them few years ago. But what Nii-sama had showed us just now told me the otherwise. He looked like he was annoyed by Yoruichi's presence. Wasn't it obvious?

"So, is there something that we can talk about, Rukia? Except about your brother of course," she sat on the couch as she spoke.

"Uhmmm, nothing I guess Yoruichi-san,"

"Come on, I don't want to back home now. I'll wait for your brother. So don't make me bored please!"

What should I talked about? Would it be alright if I talked about the Jerk?

I didn't know about Yoruichi-san really well, but I knew she was trust able. It's time to spill the bean.

"Actually I had a problem," I started. Hoping she wouldn't lose her interests on our time-killer conversation.

"Why don't you tell me about it, maybe I can help you?" She asked.

It's a signed to continue.

"Today, my boyfriend suddenly disappeared when we were at theater and strangely none of my friends nor his know anything about him. They said they never knew him at all," I expected her to laugh at me maniacally or said that maybe my boyfriend only my imagination, just like what Matsumoto and Hinamori said when I told them about it. But she didn't. She just stared at me in a shock, mouth gaping and disbelieved expression.

"Wow, it just... like my own experience," she said then.

"Did it really ever happen to you?"

"Yeah, my ex-boyfriend suddenly disappear and everyone around me suddenly forget about him," she said.

Now it was my time to exchanged my expression into hers earlier. If she ever had the same thing happened to her, it meant she would be able to help me.

Suddenly she turned to be an angelic cat in my eyes. I would do anything to help her, even if she wanted to built a relationship with my Nii-sama, if she could help me solved this case. I promised.

XoXoXoXoX

I waited inside a small cafe a few block near my house. Rain was pouring heavily outside. Yoruichi-san told me that we would meet at 3 pm precisely. But still, after I spent 3 cups of hot chocolate and 2 slices opera, she haven't arrived yet. Did she forget about our appointment? Did she had something else to do and canceled our meeting without telling me first? Or did she suddenly disappear just like that orange headed Jerk? Sighed. Maybe she was just late because of the traffic jam. At a raining day like this, the traffic usually very crowded. Yeah, that's make sense. Okay then, I'll wait for her until she came. No matter how long it would take.

Scratched that! I rather back home than waited for her for another hours. It was too much! I've been waiting for her more than an hour! Every time I called her, I always connected with the mailbox.

So after I paid for my drink, I left the cafe. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my umbrella. And you could tell how do I look when I finally reached my house.

Yeah, I was completely drenched to the bones. And when I entered the house, my expression turned into something worse. I was utterly shocked. Because there, in my living room, stood a woman that I've been waiting forever inside the cafe. She looked absolutely comfortable, dry and...happy? How could she put such a look on her face after what she had done to me? I needed an explanation!

"Yoruichi-san?" I walked toward her with a frown.

"Hi, Rukia! What happen to you? You look so...wet?" She said. There was no guilt on her voice. At all.

"What are you doing here?" I ignored her question intentionally. I just wanted to see her reaction, I wanted to find out whether she really forget about our meeting or she only pretended to forget about it.

"I am waiting for someone to come. We have an important appointment today." What was she up to?

"Does she already come?" I asked her. I feel like we were playing a game. A guess-who game.

"Actually it is he. I'm waiting for a guy," she answered.

What?

"Who is he then? Don't tell me he is my brother!"

"Of course, who else do you think he is?" She said as if it was the judge's decision in a court.

Geez, she made me very pissed off!

"What happen to your face? You look so angry! Do you hate me because I wait for your brother? Don't worry, I won't take him away from you. Don't become so jealous of me. I promise you I'll be a very good sister in law for you." Said her.

What?

"Chill out Rukia, I know it's hard for you to accept a new person presence in your house, but I think we can be a very good friend indeed," she walked to me.

"But you haven't married to my brother yet! How could you said those words? Have you no shame?" I shouted inside my heart so that she wouldn't hear me. Honestly, I had no courage to said that out loud.

She looked at me with wide eyes. Then suddenly it clicked to me. GOD I just said those previous words out loud! And obviously she heard what I was saying! Oh, crap!

"I apologize Yoruichi-san," I felt the heat stroke my face.

She just stood there in complete silence. So did I.

Then she walked slowly out of the door, without saying a single word at all.

I felt so guilty. So guilty until I forget about my reason why I pissed off. Which was actually because of her. Now why did I have to feel guilty meanwhile she didn't even felt the same when I came earlier? What she had done to me was worse I thought. She left me waiting until I came home in a totally wet clothes. And I was just shouted at her. So I supposed not to feel too guilty. But still I did.

And my guilt grew worse when I realize what I had lost. I lost my chance to meet that Jerk. Yoruichi-san was the only one who still could possibly helped me. But now she possibly hated me. And I had a high possibility to have a not-too-friendly sister in law. Possibly.

XoXoXoXoX

I tapped my fingers slightly on the table. I felt so nervous. I always felt nothing but nervousness whenever my Nii-sama's around. I sighed. It was hard to speak to him, especially concerning something like this. It was highly positive for him to disapprove. But I would tried anyway.

"Nii-sama... I want you to help me to apologize to Yoruichi-san for what happened yesterday," I piped up.

Nii-sama just answered me with silence. But then he stared at me and slowly raising his elegant brows.

It was an obvious sign that he demanded an explanation about what had happened between Yoruichi-san and me yesterday. See, how we really good at communication! We understood each other without a need to say a word. Hah, beat that!

"Yesterday we had a miscommunication. She had an appointment with me at cafe at 03.00 pm but she didn't appear and it seemed like she forgot about our appointment. Then we involved in a battle of words and I ended up hurting her feeling by saying some bad words," I explained to him as good as I could.

"What did you say to her?" Asked him.

"I told her that she hasn't married to you yet so she had to stop acting like my sister in law or at least stop saying so, uhmm well..in the end I asked her whether she had a shame or not." That's a wrapped! Honestly, I didn't remember too well what I said to her. But what I said just now was my true intention. And it sounded like I was whining to my brother.

"What did she do yesterday?" Asked him again.

"She left me waiting in the middle of a heavy downpour and when we met at this house, she acted as if there was nothing between us to solve," I said.

"What it is between you to solve? What was your appointment about?"

"Actually it was about..." Oops I couldn't told him if I wanted to find my lost boyfriend with Yoruichi-san's help. First he would convinced me that a guy named Kurosaki Ichigo was only exist in my imaginary mind, so what I was about to do was in vain. Second, he would advised me to get as far as I could from a woman named Shihoin Yoruichi (who known as his ex-girlfriend and his soon to be wife, according to Yoruichi-san herself) with a reason unknown.

"...it's secret Nii-sama.. You don't need to know what is our appointment about. I just want you to help me to apologize to her. Please." I gathered all of my courage to say those words.

He stared at me again. And I felt the heat spread on my cheeks.

"It's about a boyfriend you never had, right?" He said in a monotonous voice.

A boyfriend I never had? Was it how Nii-sama address that Jerk?

"Your silence tell me that it's a yes. I guess I have someone who you should visit first before we go to meet Yoruichi."

That was what he said before I ended up being trapped between two men that made me felt so nervous. The first one was no other than my Nii-sama himself and the second one was someone I never met before but he was emanating a very dangerous aura all over his body. He made me really really nervous. I wondered what he got to do with every single thing that happened recently.

XoXoXoXoX

"...mmmm... It's a... duck?" I said after I evaluate a strange looking ink splash on a paper that was held by a man named Kurotsuchi Mayuri. He was a man that my brother wanted me to meet with. He was a doctor or something like that. Even though he looked more like a crazy scientist to me.

He tapped his chin and nod his head. Then he spoke to my brother who sat right next to me.

"I conclude that your sister is hallucinating. This boyfriend of her is no other than her imaginary friend. She needs a therapy."

What? How could you conclude something like that only by viewing some irrational picture who look like nothing but an abstract ink splash?

"Well, I hope you can do your best to help her. Make her normal again. I really count on you. Until then I'll leave her with you," after saying those words Nii-sama really really left me with this psycho ooops I mean Doctor Kurotsuchi. How could he do that to me?

Then I started to think that maybe I was really crazy, I started to think that maybe the Jerk was only my imagination.

If I wasn't crazy then how could Nii-sama left me with this crazy psycho Doctor. Nii-sama was very logical. He would think about anything before decided to do something. So his decision was nothing but right.

But how could you called an action of leaving your sister with some random crazy Doctor was a right thing to do? Then maybe Nii-sama was the crazy one.

Whoever the crazy was, there will always be the crazier. And here he stood before my eyes. Eying me with a malicious gaze as if I was his prey. The crazier was no other than Doctor Kurotsuchi. I wondered if I ever got out of his room, alive.

"So, how do you feel now Miss Kuchiki?" He asked me in a too sweet tone

"I feel like I want to go home now. I think it's not necessary for me to stay here any longer since I'm quite sure I'm okay," I said in persistence.

"Wait a minute Miss, we still have an appointment. There are so many things left to talk about between us," he still used his sweet but creepy tone in his voice. Did he think that would impress me? Hell no!

"And it's all about my imagination, isn't it?" I tried to lure him.

"Yes, you are really clever. Now, let's continue our talk." Hmm, I almost made it.

"Sure, but would you mind if I excuse to the toilet? Our talk makes me really nervous."

"Oh, sure. Go ahead, please." Strike-O! I never thought it would be this easy to fooled a Doctor, especially the crazy...er one.

Then I walked to the door as fast as when you were being chased by a dog, but I froze in spot when I saw who was behind it. Damned, I should've known that Nii-sama was still here! I knew it too well, the same stupid excuse that I made for that crazy psycho Doctor wouldn't work for Nii-sama. And finally the rest of my day ended up being jailed (that's what I thought about Doctor's Kurotsuchi's room) with Doctor Kurotsuchi interrogating me so many weird yet absurd questions like, "Where do you think an UFO got itself being painted green?", or "If bird could swim just like fish could do, could we made a sushi from birds?" or "What is the prettiest amoeba's name?".

Geez, I wasn't crazy, but I was sure I would be if I couldn't find a way out of this hell. Somebody help me!

XoXoXoXoX

Some said when you in distress, God would hear your prayer. And I proved it's true. When I trap like a rat inside this hell (Doctor Kurotsuchi's room actually, I just exaggerated it), suddenly an angel came in and it didn't took long for her to saved me from the devil's grab. She appeared in form of Yoruichi-san. But a doubt suddenly popped out in my head, should I thanked the angel first or should I apologize to her first? Then another question appear, what was she doing here?

"You must be wonder what am I doing here, right?" God, did she could read my mind?

"Y..yes.." I answered nervously.

"Honestly I came here to look for my ex-boyfriend but he wasn't here anymore. I thought the room I entered was his but it isn't and then I met you."

"When you said your ex-boyfriend, do you mean Nii-sama?"

"No, I don't. Does he here too? Oh, no! I have to hide before he find me. And you better don't tell him my reason of being here. He could be very jealous if he found out,"

"He already back home."

"Oh, thank God."

"Anyway, I'm sorry for the previous day, I shouldn't said something that rough to you," here I finally chose to apologize first.

"Not at all. I already forget about it, I can't even remember what you said back then," she gave me a genuine smile.

"So who is your ex-boyfriend then?"

"He was a Doctor here, and I think he can help you to solve your problem."

"Do you mean he could help me find the Jerk?"

"Kind of," she shrugged.

"Wow, so you look for him to help me? How nice of you!"

"Thank you but that is not my reason actually. I look for him to borrow his invention. He was really good at experiments and tend to create some new devices that considered weird but very useful,"

"Oh, how great. Maybe he really can help me. So where is he now?"

"I don't know,"

"We have to find him,"

"Yes you right, but I have no clue where he is,"

"May I know what is his name?"

"His name is Urahara Kisuke."

XoXoXoXoX

And The Magnificent Adventure to find Urahara Kisuke was started. Well, it wasn't that magnificient since it didn't took long for us to find him. If you curious why we could easily found him the answer was because he was my neighbor. He lived right next to our house, or should I said our mansion?

It only took 15 minutes to get there. But it took almost all the energy I had to made it. It was not that easy to escape from Doctor Kurotsuchi's lair. After his first encountered with Yoruichi-san that caused him to lose his client (that was me), he decided to pursued us. Yoruichi-san and I had to run for our lives all along corridors to find the exit door. We were turning left and right, stepping back forward, moving up and down. And after we walking around that place we finally realize that the exit door was right in front Doctor Kurotsuchi's room. How could we forgot something as important as that? Shortly the both of us finally escaped. And we made it to Urahara-san's house. HURRAY!

If you expect more action on our way to Urahara san's house then I had to said sorry because we couldn't provide you such as things. There was nothing extraordinary happened along our way and it made me a little bit boring. I expected Doctor Kurotsuchi would chased after us using a gigantic robot machine which was resemble a jellyfish. It has eight tentacles and spraying laser liquid from its mouth. It could melt anything it touched. And before we realized the town already turned into puddle of laser liquid. But of course it didn't happened in reality, it was only my imagination, HA!

Maybe I was crazy after all.

Let's forget about that. Now we already arrived at Urahara's house. And Yoruichi-san entered the gate as polite as she could. Climbing it without the need to ring the bell first.

"Yoruichi-san, the bell is here..."

"It's better for him not to know who visit. If he knew it's me, he probably runaway or pretending that he was sick and his disease is contagious," she said while jumped in inside the gate

I torn between two choices, whether I should followed her trace or should I rang the bell instead?

I decided to picked the first one. When I tried my best to climbed the gate, my attire didn't permitted me. I forgot what I was wearing. I realized it when everything was already too late. The end of my skirt was stuck on one of the pointy part of the gates. I let out a shocked scream that could be heard from 1 km radius. And what happened next was out of our plan (if we ever had one). A bearded man with hat, glasses and geta came out of the house and walked toward us. He must've been Urahara-san. Honestly I

never met any Uraharas even though they were became our neighbor for who knew how long.

"What are you doing young Lady? Are you trying to peer on me when I was sleeping? How obscene! Are you a stalker or something?" He said, his eyes never left me even just for a second. Not until Yoruichi-san spoke.

"So here you are Kisuke. I've been looking for you for decades." She was definitely exaggerating.

Urahara-san suddenly became tense. He slowly spun his head to look at where the voice came from.

"Yo.. Yo.. Yoruichi...?" I saw his eyes bulged as if he just saw a giant sized of Doctor Kurotsuchi with horn, red eyes and fish tail holding a trisula and pointed it toward him. If he knew who Doctor Kurotsuchi was, of course.

Before Urahara-san had a chance to moved, Yoruichi-san already tackled him and pinned him to the ground.

"Where do you think you are going to go, huh? I have something for you to explain," said Yoruichi-san.

"Let go of me Yoruichi, there's nothing left to say between us. You already promise not to disturb my life anymore," Urahara-san said. It seemed like it was hard for him to speak from that position.

"Of course, once I've done with my business here," Yourichi-san pressed Urahara-san harder.

"Ok, ok, but please let go of me, I.. I can't breathe...".

After a few moments of consideration, Yoruichi-san let Urahara-san go. Soon afterwards, we found ourselves inside Urahara-san's house which was in my opinion didn't resemble a house at all. Well, from the outside it looked pretty normal but once you got inside it felt like you were in a totally different universe.

There were so many strange-looking machine, a lot of weird buttons, some bizarre liquid and many of other things that you could found inside a lab. Especially if that lab was belong to a crazy scientist like Dr Evil, Dr Jackal or whatever that Doctor on Frankeinstein movie's name was, or in reality we could take an example like Doctor Kurotsuchi (I presumed his lab was wackier than this) or Urahara-san himself, not that I said he was crazy or something. Oh well, I just said it.

XoXoXoXoX

"Tell me where Ichigo is." I asked Urahara-san after Yoruichi-san explained all the situation to both of us.

She told Urahara-san that my boyfriend was suddenly disappeared without a single trace and everyone acted as if he was never exists.

She told me that Urahara-san used to disappeared too, mysteriously, and it was all because his extraordinary invention that could erased someone's memories.

"I don't know what are you talking about?" Urahara-san answered, it was unsure whether he was addressing those answer to me or to Yoruichi-san. But one thing for sure, he was definitely hid something.

"Tell me where Ichigo is?" I insisted.

"I don't know what are you talking about?" He persisted.

"Oh come on guys, please stop repeating the same dialog over and over again, it reaches my nerves!" Yoruichi-san yelled loudly.

"Sorry, Yoruichi-san I just can't stand it anymore," I said.

"Listen Kisuke, you better tell the truth. Did you gave that boy your crazy memory eraser device? Tell me yes or no?" Yoruichi-san yelled again, her voice escalated.

"I.. I can't remember it. It maybe yes or it maybe no. I might be gave that device to him and he used that device to me so that I can't remember anything about him. Or he maybe never met me at all."

What kind of answer is that? He definitely hid something.

"So where is your precious little device now? If it was missing then your first theory maybe true." Yoruichi-san's voice was back to normal.

"Ok, let see it together. I haven't checked it for awhile too." So the three of us walked to a room led by Urahara-san himself. It has no different architecture compared to the other room. It still had a lot of strange machines. And in the middle of the room there was a glass-like table with some weird objects on top of it.

Urahara-san picked one of those object who looked like a barcode scanner to me.

"It was still here, so it means that boy never met me." He said in a singsong voice.

"Well, it is possible that he only borrow it from you and return it to you after he's done," said Yoruichi-san. That made sense!

"What makes you think that everything that happened to this young Lady had a thing to do with me?" Protested Urahara-san.

"Because it was exactly what happened 2 years ago. You suddenly disappeared and no one knew where you at or even knew who you were! And everyone thought I was crazy. Thanks to you and your crazy invention shit!" Here we go, Yoruichi-san's voice raised again.

"Well, after that accident I promise not to use the device again. And here I am fulfilling my promise." Urahara-san said proudly.

"If that so, how could someone could have the same disappearance?" Yoruichi-san tried to cornered him again.

"It could be many things. Her boyfriend could be somewhere in this universe, hanging out with a bunch of alien from other planet," he said in a serious tone.

"In other words you want to said that he was kidnapped by alien? It's nonsense!" Now it was my turn to yell.

"Nothing impossible if you believe, Miss. Do you have any better theory than my alien theory?" What? Did he just challenged me?

"I thought you were a scientist, but you merely a crazy guy who was fascinated by alien things."

"Ok, then forget about my memory eraser theory, what about this. That the boy who you're looking for is as genius as myself so he could invent his own device to hide himself from the world?"

"Your theory fails, he was the biggest moron I ever met!" Ha, 1 for me.

"What about this, he has a lot of enemies. Then his enemies captured him. Killed him and threw him to the sea." What kind of theory is that? Ok, let's said we were even.

"How could that explain the reaction of those people who act as if they never met him?" Beat me, now!

"His enemies paid them." He answer calmly.

"They won't pay Nii-sama because Nii-sama is rich!" Another pint for me.

"Do your brother likes him?"

"Uhm, no..."

"Well that is the answer!" Oh, shit! He probably right.

"No! He couldn't be dead!" No it was impossible. Where was Yoruichi-san when I need her? Oh there she was, she was exploring the room as if it was a museum. Why she always acted weird, as though she was suddenly forget about everything, about her real intention. Was it because one of Urahara-san's inventory she became like that?

"Have you checked the police station or the mortuary?" Yoruichi-san's voice took me back from my reverie. She already back from her exploring experience.

"No, but..." I didn't know what else to be said. It never crossed my mind even in a slightest bit.

"...but... let's go there, maybe we can find something," I guessed it was the only way left to found the truth.

XoXoXoXoX

Yoruichi-san took me to police station and mortuary to helped me find the truth about Ichigo's existence. She dragged Urahara-san in an attempt to console me. But it didn't help and fail miserably, because I was still engrossed in my thoughts about the Jerk's existence.

After a long and tiring searching, our result was ended up in nothing. I really wanted to cry out loud. If he dead already at least I need to know where was his grave, or was it really at the sea just like Urahara-san's theory? If that so, our searching would be completely in vain.

Finally we arrived at our last destination. The cemetery. This place felt so cold and distant. Suddenly fears creped on me. Not that I was afraid of ghost or zombie or werewolf or sparkling vampire. I was afraid about what truth would tell me, if truth could ever talk. And I found that was scary.

"Oh, there was Zaraki. He was the caretaker here," Urahara-san said while walking towards the said person. Zaraki-san was really creepy and he looked dangerous and sadistic at the same time. But I always remembered not to judge a book by its cover.

"Hi Urahara, long time no see. Wanna prepare for your funeral already?" Zaraki-san was a huge person. He flashed us a smirk and a nod to acknowledge our presence. Well, it meant he was not that bad. At least he was still acknowledged us.

"Not that fast Zaraki, maybe you have to prepare for yourself first."

"Ouch, that sounds bad. So which of the girls' funeral then?" I saw Zaraki-san grinned.

"It is'nt one of them either." Now the look on his face dropped.

"So what are you doing here? Don't tell me you're just wasting my time!" Wow, he was really a sadistic person!

"No of course not. I need you favor. This young Lady here was desperate to know the fate of her belove boyfriend. We presume that he was dead, but we have no proof, so could you help me find out if he was buried here." I looked at him wth my puppy eyes.

"What was the advantage for me?" He looked at me for a while, and then looked back to Urahara-san. I hope my puppy eyes would work.

"Oh, come on Zaraki. Don't you want to help her.?" Zaraki-san looked at me intensely and then looked back to Urahara-san again.

"What is his name?" See, he was not that bad after all. And my puppy eyes were never fail.

"His name is Kurosaki Ichigo," I answered almost inaudible.

"Kurosaki? Oh that was the name of the family that lives here about ten years ago."

"Do you know them?" My curiosity rose.

"Yeah, kinda. This family is consist of a father, a mother, a boy and a twin girls. They became my customer when the mother was dead."

"Yes you right, Ichigo's mother was dead. Then where are them now?" I was more curious than ever. This man really knew something.

"Here, at this cemetary." Here... what?

I gave him a disbelieved look.

"What do you meant?" I was confused. So I continued gave him that look until he spoke again.

"10 years ago when they were attending their mother one year death ceremony, they were attacked by robbers. All the members of the family found dead. And all of them were buried here. Over there," Zaraki-san pointed out at a vague distant. I followed his finger and my eyes lied on some graves. Kurosaki family's grave I supposed.

I could not believe what had been told by him. So who was Ichigo that I knew all this time? Was he merely a ghost? Suddenly everything that happened between me and Ichigo flashed right before my eyes just like a slide show. Then I finally realize how bad my behavior toward him all this time. I always yelled at him, acted selfish, and I humiliated him more than once. A guilty feeling struck me from the inside. The corner of my eyes beginning to wet. And I started to sob when I realized how bad I was treating him. I was so mean. I was engulfed by regret.

My head started to spin. And the last thing I knew everything was dark.

XoXoXoXoX

So Ichigo was a real ghost or just a part of my imagination after all? This thoughts made me dizzy and dizzier every time I thought about it. It has been 6 days after I, Yoruichi-san, and Urahara-san went to the cemetery for revealing the truth. But the truth had been haunting me to a level that it was impossible for me to ignored. So I decided to take a risk before I started to go crazy. Again.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Urahara-san asked me in a cautious tone.

"Yes, I want to forget everything relates to Ichigo. Please help me Urahara-san," I pleaded. For me this is the best choice. I had to erased him from my memories.

"Ok, if that what you want. This device will erase the memory of him from you. So you better get ready, it won't be hurt." I relaxed myself. I knew the consequences, but I would took it anyway. It was better for me after all. Maybe I was a coward who didn't want to be haunt by her own guilt and regret. And I considered erasing my memories as a redemption for what I had done to Ichigo.

A flash of light. It hurt my eyes a bit. Then I suddenly realize something was wrong. Where am I ? what am I doing here? What time was it? Should I be at school? Oh, shit! I run from where I used to sit. I didn't pay attention to anything around me until I crashed to someone else's body and I felt backward.

"Sorry, I was in hurry to go to school," I tried to defend myself.

"Well, it's not completely your fault. Here, let me help you up," I saw the one that I crashed into, he was a boy around my age. He had an orange hair and his body was tall. He looked familiar.

"Once again I'm so sorry, " I bow slightly to him after I got on my feet.

"Hei, not at all. By the way, didn't you said you want to go to school?"

"Yes,"

"On Sunday?"

"Y..What? Today is Sunday? Oh my God, I guess I already lose my track of time." I slapped my forehead. I didn't understand what had happened to me that caused me to became such a confused girl like I was. The both of us stared at each other. Then he began to laugh. I didn't understand what was so funny. Was this boy crazy or something?

Then suddenly I understood, he laughed at my silliness of going to school on Sunday. Well, that was randomly funny and I began to laughed as well. We laughed for awhile until I realized what time was it.

"I gotta go! See you next time! Eh, by the way what is your name?" I asked him.

"Ichigo. Kurosaki Ichigo..."

"Nice to meet you. Well, then see you later Ichigo!" I waved at him. Strangely the name of him sound familiar to me too. Who was he actually? Did I ever knew him?

"See you later too, Rukia!" His voice vaguely heard. Wait, did he just called my name? Where did he knew my name? I didn't felt that I mention it to him.

This Ichigo was really mysterious. I wondered who he really was?

**-The End-**


End file.
